“Every woman has a right to complete health care throughout her life.”

— Where Women Have No Doctor

An excellent companion to Health Actions for Women, Where Women Have No Doctor combines self-help medical information with an understanding of the ways poverty, discrimination and cultural beliefs limit women's health and access to care. This accessible, illustrated guide is a must-have resource for women and health care providers.

Developed with community-based groups and medical experts from more than 30 countries, Where Women Have No Doctor is an essential resource for women and for health workers interested in understanding, treating and preventing health problems that only affect women, or affect women differently from men. The guide addresses health issues across the lifespan and considers issues specific to girls, older women, women with disabilities, and refugees.

This 2014 printing features updated antiretroviral information based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to treat HIV and prevent mother-to-child transmission. Other updated topics include family planning; eclampsia; treatment of sexually transmitted infections; cervical, breast and other cancers; care for women who have had abortions; and use of medicines.

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Praise for Where Women Have No Doctor

"The value of any reference book depends as much on the accessibility as on the extent of the information it contains. The editors of this book have made considerable efforts to set out the wealth of information it imparts as clear and as 'user-friendly' a manner as possible. ...There is no space in a brief review to comment on the many individual subjects touched on [in Where Women Have No Doctor.] ...This book is commended by [Hesperian] as 'an essential resource.' For once such a claim is not exaggerated. It is also available at a remarkably low price!" — Pat Pridmore, Institute of Education, London

"Where Women Have No Doctor covers a broad range of issues that concern women's health. ...The text includes clear, reliable, useful, and updated information, and encourages collaboration among women and participation at the community level. Aware of the limited schooling and reading capacity of many in this audience, the authors succeed in providing high-quality, updated information in an easily accessible format. The quality of its contents make this book one of the best—if not THE best—guides for women's health at the community level. The main contributions of this book include its approach, which reflects the most advanced concepts in the field of women's health." — Ana Langer, Director, Population Council Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

“The Matendo Work-Group Project in Kenya organized women's study groups to review draft chapters of Where Women Have No Doctor. They found our materials to be ‘simple, educative and very attractive.’ More importantly, the Kenyan women so enjoyed this new way of learning together that they decided to keep the study groups going—and local men have been inspired to form study groups, too. Our experience is that forming study groups such as these is a first step in creating the environment for more open discussions about gender-based health issues like safer sex. The discussions [in the book] were eye-openers to us and gave us insights into the appropriate health-care approaches to women in [various] communities." — GABRIELA Commission on Women's Health and Reproductive Health, Philippines

"As a village health worker, I find that the thoughtful discussion on chapters stimulates lessons and enhances our own learning. The insightful writing and thorough coverage provide a clear look at our health and enhance the knowledge of the reader." — Community health worker, the Motherhood Centre, Kenya

“...the title of the books attracted most of our members and medical team. As many more people began reading the books, they became delighted in the presentation of the subject matter, simple prescriptions, actions, etc. On [a] daily basis, our staff made effective use of the books through note-taking, simple drawings and extracts. Our readers kept referring their medical and health problems [to] the [book].” — Cameroon Family Welfare Development Association (CAFWEDA), Cameroon

“[Where Women Have No Doctor is] helpful to us to improve the health of our community in India. The diagrams are self-explanatory and easy to understand. The diagrams are useful to explain to illiterate pregnant women in the field work.” — S.V.S. Prakash Rao, Executive Director, Vrds Ministries, Inc., India